Igniting composition for matches.



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JOHN LANDIN AND AUGUST JERNANDER, OF STOOKHOLM, SWEDEN.

IGNITING COMPOSITION FOR MATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,799, datedSeptember 3, 1901.

Application filed April 16, 1900- Serial No. 13,065, (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN LANDIN and AU- GUST J ERNANDER, engineers, ofDrottninggatan 40, Stockholm, Sweden, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Igniting Composition for Matches; and we dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to the manufacture of matches and to anigniting composition to be applied thereto; and it has for its object apractically non-explosible and comparatively slow-burning ignitingcomposition free from poisonous constituents, practically proof againstdampness, and ignitible by frictional contact with any suitable or moreor less rough surface.

It is well known that a mixture of an oxygen-yielding substance orcompound-as, for instance, potassium chlorate-and a readilyignitiblesubstanceas-, for instance, carbon or amorphous phosphorus-,will form anexplosive compound which could not be used as an igniting compositionfor matches not only because of its danger, but because of its too-rapidcombustion to insure the ignition of the match splint or stem. Thesubstitution of carbon or of the red or amorphous phosphorus for thepoisonous white phosphorus hitherto employed in igniting compositionsfor matches is therefore impossible, though many unsuccessful attemptshave 5 been made to effect this substitution. We have discovered that bycombining with the explosive compound referred to a suitable moderatorsaid compound can be used as an igniting composition for matches withperfect safety and which will insure the ignition of the match stem orsplint, and which can only be ignited by frictional contact with anysuitable surface and which can be renderedpracticallyproofagainstdampness. We 45 have also discovered that ferro as well as ferricyanids or compounds containing such will not only retard the combustionof an explosive compound such as above referred to to such a degree aswill enable us to use such compound for heading matches, but willconsiderably modify its explosive character. Among other ferro and ferricyanids expert mented with we have found the following to give excellentresults, to wit: Prussian blue, Turnbull blue, and the waste materialsre- 5 sulting from the purification of illu miuatinggas, which lattermaterials, as is well known, contain ferrocyanid, together with sulfur,and contain, therefore, not only the moderating agent, but also areadily-inflammable 6o slow-burning constituent-namely, sulfurso thatthese-Waste materials are particularly well adapted to our purposeswhenever the presence of sulfur in the composition is not objectionable.If carbon is used in lieu of or as an addition to the amorphousphosphorus in the explosive compound, we prefer to first treat thecarbon with any suitable solution, so as to form on the carbon particlesa waterproof or practically waterproof coat- 7o ing Without therebyreducing the inflammability of such carbon. This we accomplish bytreating the pulverized carbon, as char coal, with a solution ofnitrocellulose, whereby the particles of carbon are protected againstsaturation by the water of the aqueous solution of the binding agent, asglue or kindred agent, usually employed in igniting compositions formatches and which not only serves to bind together the constituents ofsaid composition, but also serves to secure or bind the composition tothe match stem or splint. The treatment of the carbon with a solution ofnitrocellulose in acetic ether or in a mixture of ether and alcohol,according to the degree of nitration of the cellulose, can

be readily effected in a closed vessel under constant stirring, afterwhich sufficient heat is applied to evaporate the solvent, which can berecovered in a well-known manner by collecting and condensing thevapors.

In lieu of pulverized charcoal or in addition thereto otherreadily-ignitible carbonaceous subst-ancessuch as tindeg s awdust,lycopodium, and kindred substances-can be 5 used, and in lieu oftreating these substances with a solution of nitrocellulose for thepurposes stated they may be treated with solu tions of otherreadily-inflammable substances insoluble in water-as, for instance,solutions of rosins, hydrocarbons, and kindred substancesalthough weprefer the nitrocellulose solution as more practical and producingbetter results. The inflammability of the composition can be increasedby the addition of amorphous phosphorus to the mixture of explosivecompound and moderator referred to.

We have found that by a mixture of from even forty to fifty parts, byweight, of potassium chlorate with from fifteen or even twenty parts, byweight, of amorphous phosphorus and a slow-burning carbonaceoussubstance, such as referred to, we can obtain a safe ignitin gcomposition for matches which is practically non-explosive and of acomparatively low degree of inflammability, which is not the case with acompound of amorphous phosphorus and potassium chlorate only. In lieu ofor in addition to the potassium chlorate other oxygen yieldingsubstances can be used as, for example, chlorates of other metals,perchlorates, chromates, peroxids, and the like.

In practice we mix with the igniting composition described a grittysubstance, as pulverized glass, for well-known purposes, and, aspreviously stated, any suitable binding agent. The admixture of theseconstituents in a finely-divided state is effected by means such as arecommonly used in the manufacture of igniting compositions for matches,the compound being of sufficient fluidity to admit of the heading of thematch-splints by dipping in the usual manner, and this state of fluidityis obtained by suitably proportioning the solution of a suitable bindingagent relatively to the dry constituents of the composition.

In the manufacture of matches as hitherto practiced and with a view toincrease the inflammability of the match stem or splint these have beendipped into paraffin or equivalent substance for a certain portion oftheir length before being headed. In contradistinction to this processwe first head the matches with our composition and then dip them intomelted parafiin or equivalent sub stance for the purpose of practicallywaterproofing the match-heads, and this we are enabled to do, becauseeven when coated with parafiin or like substance the composition willreadily ignite by frictional contact, even with a more or less smoothsurface, which is not the case with the compositions hitherto usedbecause of the difficulty of igniting the same when so coated. Of courseinstead of paraffin other like substances, as other hydrocarbons orresidues thereof and fatty substances, may be used.

The igniting compositions which we have found to give the best practicalresults and embody the requirements aimed at are the following: (a) fiveparts, by weight, of pulverized charcoal treated with nitrocellulose;fifteen parts, by Weight, of Prussian blue; seven parts, by weight, ofamorphous phosphorus; one hundred parts, by weight, of potassiumchlorate; twenty parts, by weight, of pulverized glass, and a solutionof a binding agent, as glue, sufficient to form a mass of the requiredfluidity; (b) twelve parts, by weight, of the waste material resultingfrom the purification of illuminating-gas; twentyfour parts, by weight,of Prussian blue; ten parts, by weight, of amorphous phosphorus; eighty}five parts, by weight, of potassium chlorate; twenty-five parts, byweight, of pulverized glass,and a solution of a binding agent, as aboveset forth. f

It will be observed that all the constituents in the compound arerendered practically wa terproof when the matches headed therewith arecoated with paraffin or a similar sub stance.

We are aware that Prussian blue has been used before our invention inmatch compositions, but only as a pigment or coloring-matter forcoloring the compositions. We, how'- ever, believe ourselves to be thefirst to make use of ferro or ferri cyanids or compounds of such as amoderator for the explosive and highly-combustible match-ignitingcomposi= tions.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An igniting composition for matches,con-' taining an explosivecompound of potassium chlorate and charcoal, treated with areadilyinflammable waterproofing substance, a retarder of combustion,and amorphous phos= phorus, substantially as set forth.

2. An igniting composition for matches,containing an explosive compoundof potassium chlorate and charcoal treated with a readilyinflammablewaterproofing substance, a retarder of combustion, amorphous phosphorusand a coating of paraffin, substantially as set forth.

3. An igniting composition for matches,c'ontaining an explosive compoundof potassium chlorate and carbon treated with a readily inflammablewaterproofing substance, a double cyanid amorphous phosphorus and acoating of paraffin acting as a friction-reducing and waterproofingsubstance, substantially as set forth.

4. An igniting composition for matches,containing an explosive compoundcomposed of potassium chlorateand charcoal treated with a readilyinflammable waterproofing subreg stance, a double cyanid, and amorphousphosphorus, for the purposes set forth.

5. An igniting composition for matches con- I taining an explosivecompound composed of potassium chlorate and charcoal treated with anitrocellulose, a double cyanid, and amorphous phosphorus, for thepurposes set forth.

6. Anignitingcomposition formatches,conour invention We have signed ournames in sisting of an explosive compound, a waste presence of twosubscribing Witnesses. product resulting from the purification ofilluminating-gas and containing a double cyanid 5 and sulfur, amorphousphosphorus, a, gritty substance and a binding agent, substantiallyWitnesses: in or about in the proportions set forth. TH. WAWRINSKY,

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as M. GENBERG.

